Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development, including: - background
- heath
- environment

While children are influenced by many things, there are no stronger influences than that of their parents. Parents are usually their children’s first playmates, and while there world expands with each passing year, parental influence is still one of the greatest factors in determining the ways in which the child will grow and develop.

Background: Naturally parents want to see their children do well. Sometimes though in an effort to keep kids safe, parents inadvertently hold their children back from exploring the world around them, lessening their chances to learn and progress. While it is understandable to want to shelter children from harm parents who are over protective can sometimes limit their child’s potential. Ideally, children should be given increasing amounts of freedom as they grow and mature, allowing them to gradually learn things and meet new people, increasing their physical, emotional and social development.

However there are many examples of the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development. Parents going through divorce proceedings or separation can be very traumatic for a child. Children of one-parent families may suffer as a single parent may not work or conversely work long hours, leaving the child with little support and open to bullying, or possibly no male role model to look up to. Children may become part of a step family, where a new partner may have children of their own, which could lead to friction between the children and unhappiness for the child being picked on, leading to issues of low self esteem, lack of confidence in own ability.

A parent’s attitude towards education and standards of education can have a...